


talk (at you)

by determination



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25554292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/determination/pseuds/determination
Summary: Cid can't sleep and Nero wants to help.written for Cidnero week day 1 using the prompt "thoughtful"
Relationships: Cid nan Garlond/Nero tol Scaeva
Kudos: 45
Collections: Cidnero Week 2020





	talk (at you)

Nero isn’t surprised when he joins Garlond in bed and finds him lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, eyebrows knitted and a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“What is it?” Nero asks. He props himself up on his elbows with his chin in one hand, while he lightly pokes the crease between Garlond’s brows with his other hand. 

“Can’t sleep,” Garlond sighs.

Nero rolls his eyes. “Obviously. But that’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Pursing his lips, Garlond shifts his gaze toward Nero and gives him a quizzical look. “... I just can’t seem to get my brain to settle down. Too many thoughts. And my eyes won’t stay shut. Maybe it’s anxiety or something, I don’t know.”

Nero’s eyes soften a bit. Indeed, the other man is prone to bouts of anxiety. They come and go, varying in severity. He’s found it works best not to let him linger, to give him… a distraction, of sorts.

So he leans over and kisses Garlond. This seems to be the last thing Garlond was expecting as he grunts with surprise, and with his mouth slightly open now, Nero takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into it. The taste of Garlond’s mint toothpaste lingers even after Garlond pushes him away with a halfhearted glare. 

“And just what do you think you’re doing?” Garlond demands, scrutinizing him.

Nero grins lazily. “Distracting you, obviously.”

“ _ You… _ ” Garlond sighs and shakes his head. “I’m not in the mood, Nero.”

Oh. Unfortunate. Nero had thought the simple show of affection might help alleviate some of his worries. Still, the situation can yet be remedied. 

“Shall I talk to you, then?” he offers, settling more comfortably beside Garlond with his head tilted to maintain eye contact. “This brain is encyclopedic, as I’m sure you’re well aware. History, lore, myths, legends, culture… Pick your topic, and I guarantee to dazzle you with my superior knowledge.”

Garlond rolls his eyes, but the gesture is fond this time. “Knowledge you may have in abundance, but in the tact department you’re still rather lacking.” Despite the exasperation in his tone, though, he does adjust his position to rest his head against Nero’s shoulder. It’s a start, and Nero will take it. “Fine then. Ancient myths, whichever are your favorites.”

“A fine choice,” Nero smirks. He’d anticipated that answer, and had already decided on a few stories to detail. 

For a good while, the only sound in the room is Nero’s voice as he recounts particular myths from the various cultures he’d studied over the years. He’s grateful for his immaculate memory, otherwise it would be at least a small margin more difficult to go on for this long. And for his part, Garlond is a silent, attentive listener. Nero can feel the way his posture changes, relaxing the longer Nero speaks. At some point, he even closes his eyes. 

There’s a quip Nero could make, but he’ll keep it to himself and take the victory for now. It’s not often he gets Garlond to be openly vulnerable, or to readily accept his help. That, and he savors any opportunity to show off just how much information he can retain (truly, he can’t help being proud of it).

When his voice begins to feel the slightest bit hoarse is when he recognizes the particular slow rise and fall of Garlond’s chest. “... Garlond?” he tries. No response. A small smile tugs at his lips.  _ Success _ .

As carefully as he can manage, he reaches over the now slumbering engineer to turn off the bedside light. Then, he plants a gentle kiss atop Garlond’s head and settles himself down to sleep as well.


End file.
